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Araucaria angustifolia
Also called Parana Pine, Candelabra Tree, Brazilian Pine
Paraná pine is a large, evergreen conifer from subtropical South America, not a true pine, and is prized as a symmetrical garden tree. Give it a sunny, open site with mild winters, as it is critically endangered in the wild but fast growing when planted.
Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine, Brazilian pine or candelabra tree, is a critically endangered species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. Although the common names in various languages refer to the species as a pine, it does not belong in the genus Pinus.
The prehistoric distribution of A. angustifolia in earlier geologic periods was very different to the present day; fossils have been found in northeastern Brazil. The species moved into its present-day range in southern Brazil during the later Pleistocene and early Holocene. This chorological shift may possibly be due to climatic change and the migration of mountain flora by way of river courses. Around 149,000 years ago, the species’ distribution became divided into two separate Brazilian populations: one in Serra da Mantiqueira, which is smaller but exhibits higher genetic diversity, and another on the southern plateau, which underwent a range expansion around 4000 years ago, possibly associated with human activity. Covering an original area of 233,000 square kilometres (90,000 sq mi), it has now lost an estimated 97% of its habitat to logging, agriculture, and silviculture.
Araucaria angustifolia is a popular garden tree in subtropical areas, planted for its unusual effect of the thick, 'reptilian' branches with a very symmetrical appearance.
Monkey-puzzle · Bunya · Coral Reef Araucaria · Moreton Bay pine · Norfolk Island Araucaria · Araucaria
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Araucaria angustifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
